So, here are the facts. Dog urine can either turn your grass extra dark and green, or it can kill it and make it yellow-ish. What determines the outcome? And how can we fix it? Here we go!

Dog Urine and Grass – the how and why

Urine consists mostly of uric acid, and uric acid is the deposit of excess nitrogen and salt that our bodies don’t need. The release of urine, and therefore uric acid, essentially causes a “burning” of the grass due to the concentrated deposit, therefore killing the grass. This happens because the deposited salt leeches water from grass blades, causing dehydration. As for when urine makes grass thicker and greener, that is the result of extra nitrogen availability for faster growth.

Now that the science is out of the way, there is another factor that comes into play: the way in which your pet urinates! A dog that squats to urinate likely causes more damage because they deposit a larger amount of urine. Dogs that raise their leg tend to deposit smaller amounts, therefore potentially decreasing the amount of damage to a lawn.

Seasonal attributes come into play here too; the drier the weather, the easier it is for grass to burn out. The wetter or more humid, the better the chances of less damage.

Dog urine and grass – prevention and care

As a dog, I speak for many of my friends when I say I’m sorry! We really don’t mean harm! One suggestion we have in order to help prevent lawn damage is to water the affected areas as soon as possible after we have finished our business. The sooner water can be used to dispense the salt and nitrogen, the better. Though it may not be possible to do this every time we do our business, a sprinkler system may be a nice alternative.

Other tips include making sure we have a lot of water and stay hydrated. The more we drink, the more diluted our urine is, and therefore less concentrated with sale and nitrogen. There are also food options which may help decrease the amount of nitrogen and salt we rid of; speaking to our vet or a local pet store may provide you with helpful options!

I hope this helps clear the air with some questions you may have had!

Until next time,

Gale, The Dog with a Blog

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Things to keep in mind before trying to train your dog to run with you.

Your dog’s breed. Certain breeds are better at long distance running than others, such as Golden Retrievers and Pit Bulls. This is determined by their genetics and size. A good standard for dogs who can handle long distance running would be short hairs who weigh between 50 – 70 pounds with a medium build.

Your dog’s age. Because puppies are still growing, it is smart to hold off until they are anywhere from 9 to 16 months old before taking them on long distance runs. if you would like to train your puppy to run at a young age, be sure to run in intervals, giving plenty of breaks. If your pet is older, be sure to have them checked by a vet prior to starting running.

Commands to master before taking dogs for a run.

Train us to not pull on the leash. Take your pup for walks and get them adjusted to not leading on the leash. Ideally, your pup will walk beside you, with their shoulder meeting your knee, and not ahead of you. Training them not to pull at a walking pace will help keep them in line when you start to run at a faster pace.

Train commands like “don’t pull” and “heel.” These commands will help you when training your pup on the leash. Using simple cues such as these will give them an idea of when to stop their unwanted behavior. If we start to pull or pick up a pace, use these commands to get us to slow down.

If pup gets excited and thinks running is a game, stop and tell them sternly “no.” Do this whenever we exhibit bad behavior in order to practice obedience. This would work in situations where dogs try to chase a squirrel, start biting at your feet if they think the run is a game, or if they try to jump on you.

How to build up to the run itself.

Start out with walks to practice good leash behavior. As you feel more confident in your dog’s ability to obey on a leash, start taking them for longer walks around the neighborhood or in local parks. Give them a chance to practice what they know!

Alternate walks with short runs to incorporate behavior at a faster pace. Once walks are cleared, start sprinkling in short runs, alternating between walks and runs with your dog. This will help them adjust to the new pace and carry over their behavior from walking to running.

Slowly add distance to the runs. As runs become easier to manage, slowly add a bit of distance each week to see how your pet reacts. You can continue to do this until you have reached the distance you plan to run, and you can stop alternating between walks and runs altogether. Though it is important to give us breaks, so be sure to watch the amount of running we do on a weekly basis.

Things to keep in mind.

Bring a retractable water dish if going for a long run or on a hot day. Dogs obviously need water just like humans, so be prepared if you know that there’s a chance of overheating or exhaustion.

Bring a bag to pick up after the pup. If you are going for a longer run, make sure to bring a baggie to pick up after your pet as a courtesy to others.

Check the dog’s paws afterward to ensure they are okay. Depending on where you go on runs, it is always a good idea to make sure our paws aren’t injured or too sore from running.

Give a treat to reward for good behavior. If a run goes really well, let us know we did okay!

Final note: Be patient. Running is a great bonding activity, but for us dogs it takes a while to tell when you want to play and when you want to run. We’ll get there eventually, but just keep training us on how to behave and we’ll be great running buddies.

Until next time,

Gale, The Dog with a Blog

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Did you know that May is Lyme Disease Awareness month? Lyme Disease affects not only humans, but us animal friends as well, and spring is the time of year when we want to take a closer look for symptoms of this disease. Read below to find out more about it!

What is Lyme Disease?

Lyme Disease comes from being bitten by an infected tick. This can lead to infection (in both humans and animals).

What are symptoms of Lyme Disease?

Some common symptoms would include fever, loss of appetite, depression, and joint pain caused by inflammation. It is common for dogs to get “shifting-leg lameness,” in which one leg may appear lame, return to normal after a few hours or days, and then the other leg would be affected. Other symptoms may include stiffness and difficulty of breath. More severe issues would be kidney failure or heart abnormalities, though these are far less common. It is also possible that a pet with Lyme Disease may never exhibit symptoms.

How do I prevent Lyme Disease?

It is important to do daily tick checks on your pet if they have been outside, particularly if they have been in a wooded area. If you do find a tick, gently remove it with tweezers. Be sure to pull without crunching or twisting the tick, and to wear gloves while doing so, and washing hands promptly afterward. Lyme Disease cannot be spread from your dog to you, but it is important to be safe! There are also medications that can be used to prevent ticks; you can talk to your vet about the best options for your pet.

What should I do if I think my pet has Lyme Disease?

It typically takes about 48 hours for a tick to infect a pet, if it does. If you worry that your pet has had a tick for an extended amount of time, a trip to the vet may be necessary. Most cases of Lyme Disease can be helped with an antibiotic prescribed by the doctor. This treatment will typically remove all clinical symptoms of Lyme Disease, though it’s possible that the infection may not be entirely removed and joint pain could potentially be long term. Dogs who experience kidney issues due to Lyme Disease would require a bit more aggressive antibiotics and treatment.

To learn more about tick parasite prevalence in your area, visit: http://www.petsandparasites.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

If you have any additional questions about Lyme Disease, leave them in the comments!

Until next time,
Gale, The Dog with a Blog

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According to AdoptaPet.com, about 4 million adoptable cats and dogs are put down each year, mainly because of overpopulation. By adopting from a rescue group, you could save the life of one of these unfortunate animals. Many people choose to buy from a breeder or puppy stire because they are looking for a specific breed of dog. However, 25 percent to 30 percent of dogs available for adoption in animal shelters are purebred. Some people do not consider adopting from a pet shelter because they assume that animals end up there because of poor behavior. However, like in Gale’s case, there are a number of reasons why pets arrive in a shelter. Rescuing a dog is also tremendously cheaper than buying from a breeder or puppy store. Rescue pets are normally fully vetted and fixed. In Gale’s case a pure bred Rhodesian Ridgeback can cost $1200-$2500.00 from a breeder or pet store. Her adoption fee was $400.00 and she was fully vetted and fixed. And she’s just as cute and full of love as a puppy from the pet store. Plus, that adoption fee will go back into the pot to help rescue and care for other dogs that need help. I urge you to please adopted, not shop!

Everybody loves puppies (and I’m a proud Momma)…please meet our baby, Gale!!

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